In this Nov. 30, 2006, file photo, Kasatka the killer whale performs during a SeaWorld show in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Park, File)

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SeaWorld has told "management to end the practice in which certain employees posed as animal rights activists," company CEO Joel Manby said Thursday morning, per the Orlando Sentinel. He told an earnings call that the practice was ostensibly "to maintain the safety and security of employees, customers and animals in the [face] of credible threats." At the center of what PETA has called a "corporate espionage campaign" is Paul McComb, a SeaWorld employee in San Diego who showed up at animal rights meetings and PETA protests as animal activist "Thomas Jones," Newsweek notes. As Jones, PETA says, McComb rallied against a SeaWorld float at NYC's 2013 Thanksgiving Day parade and even got taken away by cops at the 2014 Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., per Bloomberg.

But PETA members were suspicious of what the Dodo calls McComb's "inflammatory rhetoric" almost from the get-go. "There were a number of red flags relating to this individual," a PETA rep said last year. "Any genuine animal advocate is not on social media saying things like, 'Burn SeaWorld to the ground and drain the tanks.'" McComb was placed on leave by SeaWorld while the investigation took place, though he's since returned to work, Manby acknowledged. SeaWorld wouldn't say if anyone had been fired or disciplined as a result of the investigation, though the Dodo notes the company's VP of communications was fired in December for unspecified reasons after 25 years in SeaWorld's employ. After the call, which also announced a limp first-quarter outlook, SeaWorld shares fell by as much as 9%, Business Insider notes.

Free Captive Orcas from SeaWorld's Exploitation: Join the Boycott http://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/petition/BoycottSeaWorld Orcas belong in oceans, not tiny tanks. Tell SeaWorld putting profit above animal welfare won't earn your support or patronage or respect. Recently, Heart, Willie Nelson, and the Barenaked Ladies chose to cancel concerts at SeaWorld after viewing the Blackfish documentary. Stand with these entertainers by joining the boycott. CyberSign the petition today! Established in 1964, SeaWorld is an aquatic themed park which provides its visitors with close encounters with marine wildlife like belugas, dolphins, and orcas, also known as killer whales. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, SeaWorld holds the vast majority of the world's captive orca whales which appear in shows. These performances are the current cornerstone of SeaWorld's entertainment model. Orcas are highly intelligent, social animals. In captivity, they are deprived of the interactions they would normally have within their pod family structure. They often have stunted lifespans and numerous health issues while being forced to perform behaviors and tricks they would never exhibit in the wild. These impressive animals are almost constantly in motion, can dive as deep as 195 feet, and travel as far as 100 miles in a day, a range which no tank or aquarium can offer. Deprivation of natural habitat and social bonds often causes the whales to display aggressive behaviors unheard of in the wild. SeaWorld's exploitative practices cannot be allowed to continue. Boycott SeaWorld until the company ends its policy of captivity for whales and other cetaceans.

aemish

Feb 25, 2016 4:52 PM CST

"NO WAY, SeaWorld!!!" -- said no one ever

FarmerM

Feb 25, 2016 4:38 PM CST

That's how ISIS gets recruits...say lots of Trump like statements vilifying an "oppressor" and ask for local action....